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My store has just received our first Mazda2!!! We are completing the PDI, and I will test drive it and post my thoughts.
Note to host: Now we need a thread dedicated to the Mazda2! They are now in dealerships!!
The Mazda2 group is now active. Follow the breadcrumbs :P
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f212e0d/
I hate giving up my 42~49 mpg and ~250lb ft (or is it ft lbs?) of torque but I had a feeling the tdi was getting ready to get expensive so I jumped ship.
My last Mazda was a 92(?) protege. I hope the 3 proves to be as reliable as the protege was.
Don
Has anybody had a similar problem with their Mazda 3? Any ideas?
Katy
Thanks for your consideration,
Jeannine Fallon
Corporate Communications
Edmunds Inc.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
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When it came time to replace my lemoned 335i, I felt I needed to get away from Germany for a few years. That left only Japan. Not much that's fun to drive from Japan and compact. A tumor on my thigh was causing me so much pain driving a manual had become excruciating. So I opted for a car that was fun to turn and had some decent features and had an automatic for a good lease price. My leg's better now (I know what to do to keep the pain at bay as surgery is not medically possible) but I still have an automatic. In the end, it's a wholly decent car and to most people it's probably a very good car. I just want more from my driver. I knew it when I leased it and it's serving its purpose. But I will not be sad when it leaves...
This would be a shame since the competition is so good right now...I will encourage her to shop around. Personally think she'll love the smaller Hyundai's, but we'll see what happens come 2012. It's really all good...a win/win for us.
But as I said earlier, our Mazda has been a great dd & we'll hate to see it go. I still love the aggressive stance of it, though the rugs are a bit on the cheap side, always a sticky point with me.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The beauty of this 2700lb Focus ST 2.3 sedan is how controllable it is to oversteer. The '05 has stiffer suspension, but actually oversteers less. The Mazda3 2.3 oversteers a little too much, as an abrupt twist on the steering wheel when cruising on the fwy can loosen the tail. That's why it needs the optional stability control.
By the way, my '90 Protege twin-cam, which has rather uncontrollable oversteer, still has more steering feel than any E46, Mazda3 or Focus, but not relaxing enough for fwy cruising.
But she already knows which ones I'd like her to test drive but again, she gave me a slight hint that she might get a new ride with more "bells & whistles" this time. She's as frugal as I am, but methinks she wants to treat herself by getting something totally out of the box...translation, an intro luxury ride. Should be fun to see how it all plays out.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The 2.3 your wife has is much smoother than the 2.5 although the 2.5 is more powerful. Even with leather I throught the Lexus IS250 and HS250 and the TSX had much nicer interiors than the 3 GT.
When I read the specs on the 2011 Mazda 3 GT, it mentions the 8-way power driver's seat, but says nothing about memory seats. I saw a very detailed YouTube video of a 2010 Mazda 3 GT, and I was surprised to find the car had memory seats. Did Mazda remove the memory seat option for the 2011 models? I hope someone here on these forums can answer that question for me. Even if the 2011 doesn't have that feature, which I really do like, I could probably still live with it as the GT does have rain-sensing wipers which is one of my must-haves. Again, I'm very impressed with the feature content on the GT version of the Mazda 3 and may strongly consider this vehicle when my lease is up!
The rain-sensing wipers, on the other hand, are a disappointment, and it's been difficult to figure out why. They do not wipe often enough, and the "sensitivity adjustment" ring on the wiper stalk does not significantly change their behavior. I live in Pac NW where light mists / drizzle are very common. My latest theory is that the optical sensor for the wipers is in a position that's aerodynamically different than the section of windshield that the driver looks through. The sensor's glass section is much more horizontal, and may just not get as wet as the rest of the windshield. I'm very leery of trying to get a dealer shop to monkey with them, based on their poor understanding of other much more basic electronics issues I've had (the personalization features, primarily)
Back to the memory seats on the 2011 Mazda 3. When I built one on the website and printed the window sticker for a Grand Touring model, it just mentions that it has the 8-way power driver's seat, but nothing about memory seats, which is kind of strange to me since the 2010 has the memory seats. I may have to go take a look on a Sunday before the dealership opens up and see if I can see if a 2011 GT has the memory seats.
Thanks
We owned a 2008 Mazda3 GT-HB 2.3 and the ride was ridiculously rough , the engine needed to have the gas pegged to the floor in agressive freeway situations and that made for a unpleasently noisy engine whine .
The car handled very well but when I sold it with 58K on it and slipped into a 2010 Mazda3 GT HB 2.5 it was like night & day .
The 2.5 has much better bottom end pull and very even power delivery throughout the powerband unlike the 2.3 that dogged if you didnt hit the power-band right and had to pounce on it suddenly at 30mph - it took full throttle to recover and still never did 100% . I have yet to feel as though the 2.5 Is underpowered like the 2.3, in fact they got it spot on perfect for it's weight . The counterbalanced 2.5 is a dream and the facts support my opinion that its much quieter not only from the tires but mainly from the engine. We all know that its difficult to make a large displacement 4-cyl run smoothly but Mazda did it here and at times Im unaware its even running when stopped - 2.5 liters is as big a 4 as you will see in a production car for this reason -but again Mazdas techs have blueprinted and balanced this 2.5 to perfection and if broken in properly its silk .Interior noise is also lower according to the specs. Mazda miracously retooled the suspension making it smoother, lower and less jarring when you encounter potholes while retaining its world class sports car handling . I used to squint my eyes and pray in the old 2008 when hitting bad roads . Not anymore, in fact I was concerned that they had over-refined the new car , but alas they didnt as its handling specs in the slalom are identical . But between 30 -100 its a totally different animal that responds like a half-back headed for a touchdown weaving through traffic effortlessly while instilling utter confidence in the driver through ergonomics,low noise,excellent steering response, A1 suspension tuning and plenty of power on tap... , its faster , quiteter , has better mileage and handles like a dream. I wouldnt change a thing and I sure wouldnt go back to my 2.3 for any amount of money or coershing . The BIGGEST change to the 2010 Mazda3 is not just the body. They reduced drag and therby wind-noise & better mileage , then re-tuning the suspension and putting far better tires all came together to make this one solid refined awe inspiring car for the money . I test drove it thoroughly and then back into the 2008 for comparison and it was like trading in a car that had yet to be completley finished and the 2010- Is that finished product !
Also the 2.5 runs on 5w-20 synthetic from the factory instead of dino oil !
Yeah theres a bunch out there that love the older body style and I think thats got them blinded to the great changes that have been made . Its a huge Bias that I see in every Mazda blog -- The pity is that if those die hard 2.3 drivers could have just a few days driving the new 2.5 they would be trading in thier cars as fast as they could sell them . BTW I have 20K on my 2010 2.5 and its been great - in parting though the fact that I have not yet one time" had to" floor the gas tells me quite a bit about how that 2.5 performs ,because of the refinment of the new 2010 I often find myself looking down at the speedometer and Im between 90-100 in a effortless and firm glide down the freeway . I rarely felt that happen in the old Maz and I also feel now that every other car on the road is driving to slowly. Its a no brainer and if you talk to anybody that has one Im sure they will agree.
I have a Mazda5 with the 2.3, and now I'm kinda yearning for that slight extra power of the 2.5...
side mirrors with turn signal indicators integrated , anti-theft engine
immobilizer - Lastly one item that dissapeared in the second shippment of 2010 was a dedicated transmission cooler that you can only see if you look at the front of the car and on the drivers side to the right of the main grill just above the fog light you will see the black plastic small grill but that side is ventilated and leads to a small transmission radiator as you can see if you open the hood . The first year Gt was so chocked full of goodies that it was off the hook , they slowly eliminated , the transmission cooler , the integrated turn signals , heated side mirrors and the profit margin was so narrow --so if you got hold of an early Mazda3 GT dont sell it there arent many like em that made it here before they changed some things . BUT you got the answer about the memory seats ---GONE after 2010 on GTS only
Well, as much as I love my Mazda, and as much of a smoking bargain they are compared to virtually all of their direct competition, I would never go so far as to say that even a fully tarted up Mazda3 s GT was "almost a BMW." The thing is, I am a former BMW driver (and hope to be again sometime soon), and as nice as a brand spankin' new Mazda3 s GT might well be, it is absolutely no match for even my old 1999 328i in any metric except purchase price. I mean geez, to think a thirteen year old 328i could smoke a new "s GT" on the road, on the track, in the creature comfort department, and even at the gas pump speaks to just how well engineered the BMWs are.
I guess that's why I cringe when someone says that Mazdas are "a poor man's BMW."
I have yet to feel as though the 2.5 Is underpowered like the 2.3, in fact they got it spot on perfect for it's weight . The counterbalanced 2.5 is a dream and the facts support my opinion that its much quieter not only from the tires but mainly from the engine. We all know that its difficult to make a large displacement 4-cyl run smoothly but Mazda did it here and at times Im unaware its even running when stopped - 2.5 liters is as big a 4-cyl as you will see in a production car for this reason -but again Mazdas techs have blueprinted and balanced this 2.5 to perfection and if broken in properly its silk .Interior noise is also lower according to the specs. Mazda miracously retooled the suspension making it smoother, lower and less jarring when you encounter potholes & road imperfections, while retaining its world class sports car handling . I used to squint my eyes and pray in the old 2008 when hitting bad roads . Not anymore, in fact I was concerned that they had over-refined the new car , but alas they didnt as its handling specs in the slalom are identical . But between 30 -100 its a totally different animal that responds like a half-back headed for a touchdown weaving through traffic effortlessly while instilling utter confidence in the driver through ergonomics, low noise, excellent steering response, A1 suspension tuning and plenty of power on tap... , its faster , quiteter , has better mileage and handles like a dream. I wouldnt change a thing and I sure wouldnt go back to my 2.3 for any amount of money or coershing .
The BIGGEST change to the 2010 Mazda3 is not just the body but what that body does ! Mazda didnt put one single crease , curve or angle into the new body that didnt have a direct effect on performance thru lower drag and areodynamics & what that does for handling.
They reduced drag and therby wind-noise & better mileage , then re-tuning the suspension and putting far better tires on that were specifically designed for this car ONLY = all came together to make this one solid refined awe inspiring car for the money . I test drove it thoroughly and then back into the 2008 for comparison and it was like trading in a car that had yet to be completley finished and the 2010- Is that finished product !
Also the 2.5 runs on 5w-20 synthetic from the factory instead of dino oil !
Compared to my BMWs you got hosed; eight years of BMWs, not one dime to the dealership for a service visit (free rental cars and/or rides to mass transit too).
Seriously? From what I've seen of the rhetoric in your posts you've been nothing but rude; not a good way to gain many friends in this forum.
I think you need to learn how to read (and spell), what I said was "a thirteen year old BMW 328i would blow away a brand new Mazda3 2.5"; a slight difference.
"dont be offended but if yoiu make dumb statments best do your homework first"
Offended? How can I be offended by someone who is arrogant, rude, and unable to comprehend what he or she reads?
Please come back when you grow up; maybe then we can have an intelligent discussion.
It's OK to disagree about things, but let's do it without the barbs
Thanks
Still, a great car for the money...
Thank you!
Even with more than a decade of continued development, your 2010 Mazda3 2.5 cannot match a 1999 328i in acceleration, handling, braking, interior usable space, creature comforts, or even fuel economy for crying out loud.
Of course you're to freakin' stupid to understand any of that so I'm just going to end it hear and sign off; no sense in beating a dead horse.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)